"...Interestingly enough the words abuse and cover-up do not appear anywhere in the apology. It's essentially an apology for getting some things wrong logistically... Essentially they want to view their sins as administrative failures, which obviously makes them seem less serious. Since I view the more serious failures in the areas of the abuse that happened and the cover-up that followed, I would say they were more systematic leadership failures and failures in the area of integrity. When I look at it in that light, these are more serious areas to have failures than just having administrative and logistical shortcomings, but these also seem to be the areas that the apology and the recent messages want to avoid conversations around.
"There are no apologies for moral failings or for lack of character. Just procedural failures... I have not heard one word of remorse for being the kind of person who would cover up serious sin. Not once but multiple times. I am of the opinion that the pastors are not capable at this time of repentance.
They have lived out a sinful life of cover-ups and bullying the congregation for so many years that they have lost the ability, if they ever had it, to repent for their sin state. I very much agree with both of you and Linda's crucial questions earlier. I think OneofMany has hit the nail on the very, very reprehensible head in the last sentence above.
In other words, they have been living a blind life of untouchability, refusing to take responsibility for their own sin, and behaving with little genuine concern for the people because their "power and control" are of more importance.
What most of us who have left GCC/GCx have come to realize is that there is no substance to members wounds in the eyes of the "McCotter-Modeled" leaders. (This is what was vehemently modeled by the prominent founding leader of GCC/GCx - James Douglas McCotter. Someone who has never been publically denounced by this group.) According to his practices and preaching, 'It's all in the victims' head or outright rebellion to accuse an elder' in their churches of any wrongdoing. Those people are dismissed, and not just from their conscious, but from the church body literally! Please read the accounts of those brave enough to confront these leaders, those who had to escape, and those still recovering from the soul wrenching isolation, harassment and condemnation who write here over the last 10 years.
This website and its brave victims have had a LOT of harassment and bullying from some inside the church, and some very recently because one courageous woman (and now more) has dared to tell others outside this church/organization that she, too, was abused by a GCx pastor. The abuse was of a perverse sexual nature; and they dared to listen, believe and support her. Her bravery was met with denial, and absolutely NO ACTION when she took it to the leaders (and the pastor who behaved perversely toward her) decades ago. She was subsequently requested to keep silent on the matter (along with a substantial financial offer). My guess is that this bullying and public attacking of character has resulted from blind loyalty to this church and its leaders.
I am all too familiar with this mindset (as are many ex-members). I had also once been indoctrinated into that quintessential GCx "doctrine" of disloyal members being the enemy, and thus would have refused to listen or accept as truth any bad testimony of my leaders. None the less, the vulgarity and destruction of character against an innocent person should have immediately resulted in the removal of any church leadership roles, but GCx is VERY, VERY BLIND to SLANDER OF THOSE OUTSIDE THEIR OWN. It is part of its DNA - all is fair in war with the "enemy" - those "disloyal" to their church/organization. This is surely a badge of honor for cult cultures like these.
So, without this knowledge, one might possibly conclude from the "Apology Letter" from Evergreen Pastors that they have made a good step. I do not agree. They have smoked you! Pulled the wool over your eyes. Here are some warnings from the Bible on such leaders.
"See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;
their images are but wind and confusion."
Isaiah 41:29
"The prophets are but wind,
for the LORD's word is not in them."
Jeremiah 5:13
